Articles about cybersecurity and data privacy written by me, Stephen Cobb, CISSP. (This site can also be reached as zcobb.com and scobb.net.) Follow me on Twitter @zcobb for more frequent security news. (All views expressed here are mine and not those of my employer.)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Symantec Threat Forecast 2010 Webinar: A Good Way to Start the Year

Okay, so the year has already started, but how many hours have you spent pondering your information security strategy for 2010? If the answer is zero, then there's a webinar on January 19 you should sign up for here. If your answer was greater than zero then: a. Good for you, seriously! b. Ask yourself if you could use some well-informed speculation about what is coming down the pike in 2010, threat-wise, seriously. Consider:

"With compromised computers issuing 83% of the 107 billion spam messages distributed globally each day, the shutdown of botnet hosting ISPs, such as McColo in 2008 and Real Host in 2009, appear to have made botnets re-evaluate and enhance their backup strategy to enable recovery in just hours.

"It is predicted that in 2010 botnets will become autonomously intelligent, with each node containing an inbuilt self-sufficient coding in order to coordinate and extend its own survival."

*Source: MessageLabs Intelligence 2009 Annual Security Report

Not that all the threats to your data in 2010 are botnets, far from it, but the continued rise of botnets puts pressure on all levels of security, from end points to servers and even analog attack points like employee compromise. In 2010 we will continue to experience the knock-on effects of the marketization of compromised systems and personal data that can pry open system access. Register for the webinar now and you can get the MessageLabs Intelligence 2009 Annual Security Report. See you on the 19th.

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About Me

25 years focusing on cybersecurity and data privacy. Trying to help people enjoy technology and its benefits by working to mitigate the impact of criminals and other ‘bad actors’ in cyberspace. Trying to close the cybersecurity skills gap by encouraging women and minorities to enter the profession. Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) since 1996. I am fortunate to be paid to do security research by ESET, one of the world's largest security software companies. (These blog posts are mine and the views expressed in them are mine - although my employer has some pretty cool views too.)
What else? Wrote a bunch of books, started several successful companies. Produced a commercially unsuccessful but award-winning documentary about civil rights. Also strive to create greater awareness of hemochromatosis, the most common genetic killer in the Western world (that nearly killed my partner). Oh, and I'm working on a Master's degree in Security and Risk Management in the Criminology Department of the University of Leicester, England.